Paper-based, oven-ready or bakeable trays are well known in the art for baking, heating, or reheating foods. Such paper-based bakeable trays are commonly used by “take-and-bake” pizza companies. Paper-based bakeable trays are also used by makers of frozen pizza, partial baked “par-bake” and raw pizza dough. These paper-based bakeable trays include barrier coatings such that they are impermeable to liquids and can withstand typical oven temperatures. While these trays may serve their intended purpose, it has been found that when foods are baked in these conventional trays, the food may not cook uniformly. For example, when pizza is cooked on these conventional trays, that the pizza crust in the middle of the tray is often soft and doughy. Accordingly there is a need for a paper-based bakeable tray that promotes uniform cooking.
Additionally, conventional paper-based bakeable trays have a flat or substantially flat bottom. When the cooked food is allowed to sit in these flat bottom trays, the food often becomes soggy from condensation or from grease or other juices dripping from the food. Accordingly there is a need for a paper-based bakeable tray that minimizes or prevents the food baked within the tray from becoming soggy due to condensation or from sitting in its own juices while cooking or after cooking.